Top Five

How magazine's 20th anniversary issue (February 2005) offers various listings in groups of 20. One of the listings is devoted to "20 tips to rev your creative engine". My top five from the list (highlights as per original):

Collect. Maintain a reference file of raw material, such as photographs, magazine pages, fabric swatches, etc.

Take a long shower or bath. You'll be surprised what comes to mind when you're too soapy to write it down.

Allot 15 minutes for drawing or writing without distraction. No idea or concept is bad. Don't judge, analyze or stop until the 15 minutes are up.

Record. Carry a sketchbook or digital camera wherever you go.

Use tools like clouded glasses and weighted gloves to experience processes as though you have the abilities of different users. This is an easy way to prompt an empathetic understanding for users with disabilities or special conditions.

The one of course that sticks out is the Record injunction since in the original the whole of it is in a bigger point size and has a wavy arrow leading to an illustration of someone using a sketchpad. And it is prominently in the middle of the list. What strikes me about most of the tips is the embodied nature of creativity. And, obviously the connection of mind and body and its importance for flow.

Extrapolating from this short list from the original 2o, I would like to add a sixth:

Transcribe:

1. Collect
2. Take long showers or a bath
3. 15 minutes without distraction
4. Record (variation of collect)
5. clouded glasses, weighted gloves

Notice how a transcription can subtly shift perspectives?

And so for day 935
05.07.2009